Rule.



No. 745,243. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. T. G. SAXTON & W. G. MoDOWELL.RULE.

1 APPLI A'I'ION IILED MAR. 9. 190a.

I NO MODEL. 4 Z y I p t THE uonms PETERS c 6.. Pumouma. WASHINQYON: a.c.

UNITED STATES Patented November 24, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS GUNNI SAXTON AND WILLIAM GUY MCDOWELL, OF LEXINGTON,

KENTUCKY.

RULE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,243, dated November24, 1903.

Application filed March 9, 1903. Serial No. 146,996. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS GUNNI SAX- .ron and WILLIAM GUY MCDOWELL,citizens of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county ofFayette and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Rules, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rules of that kind which comprise a pluralityof hinged members adapted to be adjusted to different angles or foldedinto small compass, and one of its.objects is to provide improved meansfor retaining the hinged members or sections firmly in position afterthey have been adjusted to the desired angle with respect to each other.

' A further object of the invention is to provide means for applying itto folding rules as now constructed without making any material changein said rules.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rigid joint between thesections of the rule, so as to prevent rattling of the sections upon oneanother.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for readilyadjusting the sections of the rule to any desired angle.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, and those features which are regarded as new will be setforth in the claims.

The invention has been illustrated as applied to an ordinary folding orsectional rule, such as is old and well known in the art.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a rule constructedaccording to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side ele vation showingthe joint between the serrated clamping-disks. Fig. 3 is a plan Viewshowing one of the serrated clamping-disks. Fig. 4 is a side viewillustrating a pair of serrated clamping-disks separated. Fig. 5 is aside view illustrating a pair .of clampingdisks in clamped relation.Fig. 6 is'a plan view illustrating a modified construction, and Fig. 7is a plan view illustrating a further modified construction.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings a form of concavo-convexclamping-disk 1 is illustrated, which is designed to produce afriction-joint between the sections of the rule. Each of theclamping-disks 1 is made from any suitable resilient metal. Around itsperiphery each disk is provided with a-series of projections orserrations 2. In constructing a rule according to our invention one ofthe clamping-disks 1 is attached by means of rivets 3 to the circularbearing-surface 4 on the section 5 of an ordinary rule, as shown inFig. 1. After a clamping-disk 1 has been attached to each of thesections of the rule two of these sections are riveted together by arivet 6, Figs. 1 and 2. It will be observed from Fig. 2 that theconcaved sides of the disks are placed together and that the serrations2 of the disks register with each other. The central portions of thedisks 1 are clamped tightly together by the rivet 6, as illustrated inFig. 5, so as to provide the flat central 7o bearing-surfaces7 and 8. Itwill be observed by an inspection of Fig. 5 that the outer margins ofthe disk 1 are separated by reason of the resiliency of the metal fromwhich the disks are made. When it is desired to adjust the sections 5toward or from each other, it is only necessary to shove them togetheror draw them apart. As this is done the serrations of the disks willslide over one another with a clicking sound and will register with thenext adjacent serrations. By reason of the resilient qualities of thedisks and by reason of the registering together of the serrations 2 thesections 5 of the rule will 'remain rigid in any position to which theymay be adjusted.

In the construction just described it will be evident that the old andwell-known form of folding ruler may be employed by simply removing therivet which hinges the sections thereof to one another and riveting theclamping-disks l to the circular bearing-surfaces of the rule-sections.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings we have illustrated a modified constructionwherein the clamp- 5 ing-disk 1 is constructed with a flat attachingportion 9. In attaching. this form of cuts or slits 11, which areprovided to prevent the resilient action of the clamping-disk from beingimpaired by the flat attaching portion 9. The rule-sections, accordingto this form of the invention, are clamped together by the rivet 6, asusual. The fiat attaching portion 9 (illustrated in Fig. 6) may, ifdesired, be made in the form of a socket, into which the rule-section 5may be inserted and within which it may be riveted. This form ofconstruction is adapted for ready attachment to the rule-section.According to this construction also two clamping-disks 1, provided withsocketed or flat attaching portions 9, may be riveted together inoperative relation with each other, and the rule-sections may besubsequently attached to the flat or socketed attaching portion 9, aswill be readily understood.

In Fig. f the drawings we have illustrated the clamping-disk 1 as beingriveted directly upon the end of each rule-section. With this form ofthe invention it is possible to fold one of the rule-sections upon theother, so that the instrument will occupy but little space. It is alsopossible with this form of rule to secure a more perfect right or acuteangle than with the other forms illustrated. In this form of theinvention also it is merely necessary to rivet each clamping-disk 1directly to the rule-section 5, as shown.

In constructing the clampingdisks 1 it is preferable to provide themwith seventy-two serrations. By this means a circle of three hundred andsixty degrees is divided into sections of five degrees each, and it willbe understood that by adjusting the rule-sections from one serration tothe next a difierence of five degrees in the angle of the tworule-sections will be made. It will be understood, however, that theclamping-disks 1 are not necessarily provided with seventy-twoserrations, but may, if desired, be provided with three hundred andsixty in order that an angle of one degree may, if desired, be produced,or the clamping-disks 1 may be divided into any other desired number ofserrations, according to the purpose for which the rule is intended.

The clamping-disks 1 by providing a large bearing-surface against eachother and by reason of the interregistering of the serrations produce afirm joint between the sections of the rule and prevent any rattling ormoving of said sections upon each other. The clicking of the serrations2 as the rulesections are adjusted toward and from each other also actsas an indicator to aid in the ready adjustment of the rule-sections.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rule, the combination of a pair of sections, and a pair ofclamping-disks arranged adjacent to the joint between said sections, thecentral portions of said disks being clamped in contact with each other,and the portions adjacent to their peripheries being separated, so as tocause their peripheries to be in frictional contact.

2. In a rule, the combination of a pair of sections, and a pair ofserrated clampingdisks arranged adjacent to the joint between saidsections, the portions of said disks adjacent to their peripheries beingseparated, so as to cause their serrated edges to interlock.

3. A rule comprising a pair of concavo-convex serrated clamping-disks,said clamping disks being connected together and each having anattaching portion connected therewith, the portions of said disksadjacent to their peripheries being separated so as to cause theirserrated edges to interlock.

4. A rule comprising a pair of concavo-convex serrated clamping-disks,said clampingdisks being connected together, each of said clamping-diskshaving an attaching portion connected therewith, and a rule-sectionconnected with the attaching portion of each of said disks.

5. A rule comprising a pair of concavo-convex serrated clamping-disksconnected together, and means for attaching a rule-section to each ofsaid disks, the portions of said disks adjacent to their peripheriesbeing separated, so as to cause their serrated edges to interlock.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS GUNNI SAXTON. WILLIAM GUY MCDOWELL.

Witnesses:

V. L. RIoE, OSCAR O. BAUER.

